Publically-accessible file hosting services, otherwise referred to a cloud services have become a popular means for not only storing data, but also transferring data files between entities. For example, a user/subscriber of a file hosting service may post/upload data files to the service/cloud, and, once posted/uploaded, another entity, referred to herein as an authorized entity, may access the file hosting service to download the data files. Conversely, the authorized entity may post/upload data files to the service/cloud and, once posted/uploaded, the user/subscriber may access the file hosting service to download the data files.
While the file hosting service itself provides for some level of access control and managements in terms who is authorized to access the service/cloud, most if not all of the access control and protection are from the standpoint of the user/subscriber. In this regard, the authorized entity is provided little, if any, access control management and other security mechanisms. This problem is exasperated in instances in which the authorized entity is granted read, execute and write access rights on the file hosting service.
For example, once an authorized entity has been provided all-inclusive access rights to a service/cloud, the service/cloud provides the authorized entity no protection over the type of data files uploaded to the service/cloud or downloaded from the service/cloud nor the nature of the content provided in those data files. In this regard, the authorized entity may, intentional (e.g., wrongfully or the like) or unintentional (e.g., erroneously or the like) upload a data file not intended for the user/subscriber or a data file that contains data elements not intended for the user/subscriber.
Moreover, the public nature of such filing hosting services means that while the authorized entity may be under the impression that the data files are being shared privately (i.e., solely between the authorized entity and the user/subscriber), in fact, either unintentional or intentionally, the data files may be shared/accessed by other entities that have been granted access by the user/subscriber.
Therefore, a need exists to provide authorized entities, who have been granted access to a file hosting service, access/data management control over data files intended to be uploaded to the file hosting service and data files intended to be downloaded from the file hosting service. The desired systems and the like should be protect the authorized entity from intentional/wrongful and unintentional/negligent uploading or downloading improper data files and/or improper data elements within the data files. Moreover, the desired systems should eliminate the possibility of the data files being accessed by other entities/parties other than rightfully authorized to access the data files.